Table of contents

ILMINGTON

Acreage: 3,325.

Population: 1911, 576; 1921, 536; 1931, 531.

Until 1931 this parish formed the centre of a detached portion of the county of Warwick surrounded
on the north and east by Worcestershire and on the
west by Gloucestershire. In that year, however, the
intervening Worcestershire parishes were annexed to
Warwickshire. Ilmington is a long narrow parish, 4
miles from north to south with a breadth varying from
less than a mile up to 2 miles. The ground is very hilly,
rising from 225 ft. in the north where the road from
Stratford-on-Avon to Chipping Campden enters the
parish to 833 ft. where the same road crosses the southwestern boundary. In this high ground of the Ilmington Downs are several quarries, formerly worked both
for building stone and road metal. Between the Downs
and the village Nebsworth Hill is crossed by a track,
known as Pig Lane, which may have been used in
Roman times to connect the Ricknield Street and the
Fosse Way. A little north of, and below, this track is
a small rectangular earthwork which has been considered a Roman camp but is more probably medieval. (fn. 1)
Half a mile due south of this is the hamlet of Foxcote,
lying in a hollow with Windmill Hill to the east of it.
A windmill belonging to the manor is mentioned as
early as 1295 (fn. 2) and as late as 1697. (fn. 3) The southern extremity of the parish is occupied by the hamlet of
Compton Scorpion.

About a quarter of a mile north-west of the church
a chalybeate spring was found in 1684 and, thanks to
the commendation of Dr. William Cole and a pamphlet
by Dr. Samuel Derham, had a considerable vogue for
some years. The site was enclosed and paved and was
given to the public use for ever by Sir Henry, afterwards Lord, Capel in 1699, (fn. 4) but it has been for many
years in private possession.

Dr. Thomas records, from the information of the
rector, Abraham Swanne, that a popular gathering,
wrongly styled a 'Wake', was held on 21 September,
St. Matthew's day, which 'was set up by Mobbish
People for wrestling and other masculine Exercises
about the year 1650'. (fn. 5) This is said to have continued
until about 1830. (fn. 6)

The parish contains a good deal of woodland, particularly in the neighbourhood of Foxcote and round
the village, which still has some remains of its former
green. The common fields were inclosed in 1781 under
an Act (fn. 7) which affected 52 yardlands containing 1,820
acres.

The village is a fairly long and narrow one of a
rambling plan in irregular oblongs one within the other,
with roads branching off in all directions, some trailing
up the slopes to the south-west and ending in culsde-sac.

The church sets back from the west side of, and
within, the larger oblong and is approached only by a
footpath passing south of it. The buildings are of usual
Cotswold type, being mostly of Campden stone with
thatched or stone-tiled roofs. Few have any noticeable
architectural features. 'Hobdays', a small house on
the west side of the road near the north end of the
village, is dated 1709 and has the initials 1 & ms
carved in a panel on its south-east front, but its windows are mullioned and have moulded labels and inside
is a wide fire-place more characteristic of the 17th
century.

The old Manor House (fn. 8) (Mrs. Spencer Flower) about
200 yds. east of the church is an early-to-mid-16thcentury many-gabled house of three stories that has
been much altered and enlarged in the present century.
The old part is of L-shaped plan, the longer range
facing east, and of three gabled bays, the shorter wing
facing south with two gabled bays and also gabled at
its west end towards the roadway. The gables have
copings and ball-finials. The windows have plain mullions and square heads with labels: those to the ground
floor of the south-west wing also have transoms. In the
alterations of c. 1920 the courtyard in the angle between the two parts has had a similar gabled wing built
upon it, containing the dining-room, &c., but the
windows in the old walls that looked into the courtyard
have been retained in the dining-room. There are four
original Tudor fire-places with moulded stone jambs
and four-centred and square heads. One at the south
end of the long hall that occupies two-thirds of the
main block has a portcullis carved in each spandrel.
The fire-place in the modern dining-room is in its
original chimney-stack but turned the other way. The
chimney-stacks have diagonal shafts.

A lower outbuilding to the north, facing the road,
has been joined up with the house: its upper room has
a roof that may be older than the main building: the
middle truss has curved braces forming an arch below
a collar-beam. A large barn north-east of the house has
been converted into a music-room and joined to the
house by a modern corridor.

The 'Dower House', now the Rectory, stands a
short way north of the church, setting back on the west
side of the road. It is an attractive stone-built house,
mostly of rectangular plan and facing south-east. The
front is of two periods, the northern half being of
rougher ashlar than the southern, the two parts being
each gabled and meeting with a straight joint. The
north half of the house is of the 16th century and has
mullioned windows with moulded jambs and square
heads; the other half is probably of mid-17th-century
addition; its mullioned windows have chamfered jambs,
&c., and there is a cellar below this half only. The front
entrance, in the middle opposite the central chimneystack, has moulded jambs and a lintel with a key-block
and a segmental carved hood. Inside are plain wide
fire-places and a 17th-century staircase.

Foxcote, 1¼ miles south-west of the church, is a
large three-storied house of yellow stone ashlar built in
the 18th century. The north-west and south-east fronts
are divided into five bays by tall Doric pilasters and
have entablatures: above the middle bay of each is
a pediment. The middle doorway of the south-east
front has a curved broken pediment and above the
north-west doorway is a modern shield of arms. The
interior is very plainly treated. The chapel attached
to the house was for two centuries used by the
Roman Catholics of the district, and John Mannock,
O.S.B., a theological writer of some eminence, was
chaplain to the Cannings here from 1709 until 1759. (fn. 9)
In 1935, however, the Roman Catholic church of
St. Philip, overlooking the village green, was consecrated.

The Methodists have a chapel, erected in 1848.

Manors

Ilmington occurs, as 'ylman dune', in a
charter of 978 as one of the bounds of
Tredington in Worcestershire. (fn. 10) At the
time of the Domesday Survey it was held by the Count
of Meulan; the main portion, 7 hides less 1 virgate,
which had been held by three thegns, was in his own
hands, (fn. 11) but 1 hide ½ virgate was held of him by
Odard. (fn. 12)

In 1204 the manor of ILMINGTON was held by
Robert de Harecourt, who on the loss of Normandy
adhered to the King of France and forfeited his lands.
A valuation of the manor then made showed that the
rents produced £14 and that when it was fully stocked
it was worth £20. (fn. 13) Out of this King John granted
land to the value of £13 to Owen son of David, (fn. 14) but
John de Harecourt, probably a son of Robert, seems to
have recovered the manor, as upon his death it was
granted, in 1219, to Philip de Ulecot. (fn. 15) In January
1221, however, Richard de Harecourt paid a fine to
the king for the lands of his father Robert in Ilmington. (fn. 16) He died in or before 1246, when the manor had
reverted to the Crown and had been assigned to Simon
de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. (fn. 17) He is said to have
made a grant of the manor to Sir John son of Richard
de Harecourt, (fn. 18) but subsequently gave it to Sir Peter
de Montfort, who held the adjacent estate of Whitchurch, (fn. 19) to be held of him as one knight's fee. (fn. 20) Sir
Peter's son Peter in 1272 obtained confirmation of his
right to the manor from Sir John de Harecourt and the
king. (fn. 21) His grandson Peter, who died in 1369, settled
the reversion of the manor on his illegitimate son John
in tail in 1324, (fn. 22) and it descended in that family, being
held of the Honor of Leicester and Duchy of Lancaster, (fn. 23) with Coleshill (q.v.) until the attainder of Sir
Simon Mountfort in 1495. (fn. 24) It was then granted, in
1497, to Sir Reynold Bray, (fn. 25) and on his death in 1503
passed to his niece Margery and her husband Sir William Sandys. (fn. 26) Their son Thomas, Lord Sandys, in
1550 sold the manor to (Sir) Thomas Andrews (fn. 27) of
Charwelton (N'hants.). His son Thomas, with his wife
Jane, made a settlement of the manor in 1603 on the
marriage of his son John with Anne Reade (fn. 28) and died
in 1609. (fn. 29) Sir John Andrews in 1613 sold to Sir
Baptist Hicks, (fn. 30) who was created Viscount Campden
and Baron Hicks of Ilmington in 1628 and died the
following year. (fn. 31) Ilmington then
passed to his younger daughter
Mary, wife of Sir Charles Morrison, whose daughter and heir
Elizabeth married Arthur Capell,
Earl of Essex. (fn. 32) His descendant
Algernon, Earl of Essex, conveyed the manor in 1700 to
John Milles. (fn. 33) The history of
the manor then becomes obscure.
The Hon. Robert Shirley appears
as lord in 1726 and 1729, and
George Shirley in 1739 and
1764. (fn. 34) In 1764 Francis Canning, of Foxcote (see below), is so described, (fn. 35) and in
1770 he was dealing with the manor. (fn. 36) It continued in
the family until the death of Robert Canning in about
1848, when it passed to his cousin Eliza Minto Canning,
daughter of John Canning, who had married Philip
Henry Howard of Corby (N'humb.); their son Philip
Canning Howard held the manor at his death in 1934,
after which it passed to his widow. (fn. 37)

Canning. Argent three Moors' heads couped wreathed about the temples or and azure.

FOXCOTE, which may perhaps represent the estate
in Ilmington held by Odard in 1086, is called a hamlet
in 1316. (fn. 38) It had no independent manorial rights, but
an estate here was conveyed by Geoffrey le Marshall in
1294 to his son Gilbert, whose descendant Eustatia is
said to have married John Salmon early in the 15th
century. (fn. 39) Their daughter Agnes, according to a 17thcentury pedigree, (fn. 40) married Thomas Canning, whose
descendants resided here for ten generations in the male
line, till the death of Robert Canning in about 1848,
when the estate passed with Ilmington Manor (see
above) to the family of Howard.

Compton Scorpion is probably the 'parva Contone'
of Domesday, where 5 hides which had been held by
Brictic were held in 1086 by Warin under Robert de
Stafford. (fn. 41)

In 1242 a half-fee in Hethin Cumpton was in the
hands of Robert de Haleford, who held it of Roger le
Poer, and he of Ernald de Bois, himself a tenant of
Robert de Stafford. (fn. 42) A generation later, in 1279,
Robert son of Peter was lord of Cumpton Shorefen,
which he held of Thomas de Stoke, Jordan Cachelewe,
and Felice his wife as ½ fee 'of the small fee of Stafford';
they held of William Poer, who held of John de Bois,
a tenant of the Barony of Stafford. (fn. 43) No more is known
of the mesne lordships, but in 1316 Robert de Val was
lord of COMPTON SCOREFEN, (fn. 44) and Dugdale was
probably right in suggesting (fn. 45) that Robert son of Peter
was son of Peter de Valle, who occurs as a landowner
in Warwickshire in 1227. (fn. 46) Sir Robert de Valle in
1334 settled the manor on himself with remainder to
his son John and his heirs. (fn. 47) This John died in 1360
holding Compton from the Earl of Stafford, his heirs
being John Burdet, aged 15, and John Noreys, aged 21,
sons of his two sisters. (fn. 48) Accordingly we find among
the fees of the Earl of Stafford in 1372 and 1386
Compton Scorefen held by John Burdet and Geoffrey
Noreys, (fn. 49) and in 1392, 1398, and 1403 by Thomas
Burdet and Geoffrey Noreys. (fn. 50) No more is known of
the Noreys interest, but when Thomas Burdet, grandson of the above Thomas, was attainted in 1477 for
plotting the murder of Edward IV by witchcraft (fn. 51) he
was holding the manor jointly with Margaret his
(second) wife. (fn. 52) Margaret afterwards married Thomas
Wodhull, and they were dealing with the manor in 1495. (fn. 53)
The estates of Thomas Burdet
were disputed between the descendants of his two wives, but
eventually Compton Scorefen
was assigned to Thomas Burdet,
grandson of Margaret. (fn. 54) He
died in 1536, having settled the
manor three years earlier on
his son Robert at his marriage
with Elizabeth daughter of Sir
Thomas Cokayne. (fn. 55) In 1546 Robert sold the manor to
William Sheldon and Robert Palmer. (fn. 56)

Palmer. Checky or and azure a chief gules.

The Sheldon moiety of the manor was inherited by
Edward son of Ralph Sheldon in 1613 (fn. 57) and sold by
him in 1616 to John Savage of Edgiock. (fn. 58) George
Savage sold it in 1658 to Thomas Appletree. (fn. 59) The other
moiety was in the hands of Giles Palmer in 1650, (fn. 60) and
his grandson Giles held the estate with two of the four
houses in the hamlet (the other two being held by
Thomas Rowney of Oxford) in about 1730. (fn. 61) This
Giles Palmer died while Sheriff of Warwickshire in
1734 and the estate was held by his widow until her
death in 1763. (fn. 62) The only later reference to the manor
of Compton Scorpion appears to be in 1800 and 1803,
when Thomas Stanley Hill occurs as lord. (fn. 63)

Church

The parish church of ST. MARY consists of a chancel with a small north vestry,
nave, north and south transepts, south
porch, and west tower.

The building dates from about the middle of the
12th century, when it had a chancel and a nave of the
present size. The west tower was the first addition,
late in the same century. Early in the 13th century the
chancel was rebuilt; its width and the thickness of its
walls are doubtless those of the 12th century, but its
length was increased. The north transept appears to
have originated in the 13th century as a short aislechapel with an arcade of two 8 to 9 ft. bays, but the transept was apparently enlarged in the 15th century when
the arcade was altered from two bays into one large bay
with the re-use of the older material. Most likely the
south transept was then added to complete the crossshaped plan, but it has been almost entirely rebuilt in
modern times (1846 ?). The clearstory of the nave was
a mid-late-14th-century addition but the roof shows
no detail earlier than the 16th century. The top stage
of the tower is a late-15th-century heightening and
the south porch an early-16th-century addition. The
church was restored in 1846, apparently rather drastically; further repairs were done in 1911, when the
blocked tower archway was reopened and the nave roof
opened out. The roof had to be repaired again in 1939
owing to the ravages of the death-watch beetle.

The chancel (about 26½ ft. by 14½ ft.) has an east
window of four cinquefoiled lights and tracery of 15thcentury character in a two-centred head with a hoodmould. Only the splays and the rear-arch are ancient.
In the north wall are three 13th-century lancets, of one
chamfer outside and with wide rubble splays with ashlar
dressings and segmental rear-arches. The lower part of
the middle window has been cut away for the modern
doorway to the vestry. The south wall has two windows
of c. 1500, each of two elliptical-headed lights under a
square head. The external labels have return stops,
above which are carved lozenges or squares. The
masonry is greyer than that of the walling. Between
them is a 13th-century lancet, and below this is a
priest's doorway with jambs and pointed head of
curiously unconventional mouldings, having quasicaps at the springing-level and a hood-mould with
human heads carved above the return stops. There is
another similar head carved on the sill of the lancet
above it. The doorway has an elliptical rear-arch.

Below the south-east window is a small 14th-century
piscina with a trefoiled ogee head and remains of a
round basin, and west of it are three sedilia with
moulded stone seats at one level: the recesses have ogee
heads and foiled panels above them under a square main
head. The east half is ancient, probably 14th-century,
the west half is modern, and the westernmost recess has
a cinquefoiled head. In the west half of both side-walls,
which are unusually thick for the 13th century, are
four stall-recesses with hollow-chamfered jambs and
plain pointed heads of the 13th century.

The walls are of coursed ashlar in yellow Campden
stone and without plinths. There is modern ashlar below
the east window; probably the sill was lower than now.
At the east angles are 15th-century diagonal buttresses.
The east wall is gabled and has late-18th-century copings and modern kneelers.

The gabled roof is hidden by a segmental plastered
ceiling. It is covered with tiles and has eaves gutters.

Plan of Ilmington Church.

The chancel arch has a round head of three square
orders towards the west and two towards the east. The
chamfered innermost order of the responds is mostly
modern; the other orders are carried on nook-shafts
(restored) with the original 12th-century capitals: the
outer northern on the west face is carved with a human
mask, at the angle, and interlacing strap ornament. The
other capitals are of cushion type, two on the west face
having cheveron line-ornament cut in the curves. The
chamfered abaci are carried to the side walls as stringcourses and stop the ends of the grooved and chamfered
hood-mould.

In the north wall of the modern vestry is a re-used
window of two trefoiled lights and tracery in a twocentred head, mostly 14th-century work.

The nave (57½ ft. by 21½ ft.) has an archway of
about 17 ft. span at the east end of the north wall
opening into the transept. It has a two-centred order
of two chamfered orders with small and medium voussoirs and plain chamfered hood-moulds on both faces,
with head-stops under the west ends. The east respond
is of two similar orders, the inner with a modern
moulded capital. The west respond is an early-13thcentury round pillar set against the south-west angle of
the transept and having a moulded base and capital. If
the re-used material is indigenous the whole feature
seems to have been a 15th-century remodelling of an
earlier arcade of two narrow (8 to 9 ft.) bays.

West of it—only 8 ft. from the respond—is a 12 in.
round-headed window of the 12th century. The 12thcentury north doorway is a plain feature with a reset
segmental head of two square orders, and grooved and
chamfered abaci and hood-mould, carried on jambs
also of two orders, the inner chamfered, the outer with
a roll mould. The bottom of the doorway is walled up,
the rest being converted into a window.

On the south side is a wide pointed archway into the
south transept, all modern; and west of it a 12th-century
window like that opposite. In the west half of the wall
is a window of c. 1330, of two trefoiled ogee-headed
lights and a quatrefoil in a two-centred head. The south
doorway, of the 12th century, was altered in the early
16th century, only the original outer order of the head
and hood-mould being left in place. Both have zig-zag
mouldings of the usual sections, the hood having pellets
in the indents. It has been cut into two by an early16th-century cinquefoiled ogee-headed niche for an
image. This has side-pilasters with pinnacles; the head
has crockets and a finial, all rather crudely cut. The
doorway has jambs and depressed four-centred head of
two orders, the outer hollowed. There are four steps
down from the porch to the nave floor.

The clearstory is lighted in each side by three windows of two trefoiled ogee-headed lights and foiled
piercings in a square head without a label. The jambs
are of two chamfered orders.

The thick nave walls are of 12th-century irregular
rubble in Campden stone with ashlar dressings at the
west angles. The plinth, if any, is hidden by the higher
ground of the churchyard. There are no buttresses.
Inside the masonry has been revealed by the removal
of the dado wall-lining: the original masonry is of
large irregular rubble, but 3½ ft. west of the west angle
of the north transept is a vertical break and a change to
coursed and squared small rubble, probably of the date
of the transept. The upper parts of the walls are
plastered.

At the base of the comparatively tall clearstory is an
external weather-course, the face above setting back
a few inches and being of roughly squared rubble.

The plain parapets have a moulded coping and stringcourse.

The roof was restored in 1939. It is low-pitched and
divided into five bays by moulded tie-beams, probably
of the 16th century, with wall-posts and curved braces.
On the soffits of three are bosses carved from the solid,
two with conventional rosettes and one with an ihs
centre. The trusses are carried on stone corbels, some
with plain shields. On the east face of the tower is the
weather-course of the former steeply pitched gabled
roof, its apex reaching to the top of the second stage.

The north transept (about 20½ ft. square) has modern
three-light traceried windows in the east and north
walls. In both side walls are two 15th-century clearstory windows, each of two trefoiled pointed lights and
tracery in a square head with an external label having
square volute stops. The walls are built of coursed
rough ashlar with a chamfered plinth. There are 15thcentury diagonal buttresses at the north angles, and at
the south end of the east wall is a slight projection, probably the north-east angle of the original nave. The
parapets are plain and have old copings and stringcourses differing from those of the nave. The north
wall has a low-pitched gable. The roof has been much
repaired but retains a 15th-century middle truss with
a cambered tie-beam on wall-posts and curved braces.
It has stone corbels and there are corbels for two other
former trusses.

The south transept (about the same size) is more or
less a replica of the other. The windows are modern,
except for the two clearstory windows in the west wall.
The west wall and the south wall, excepting the gablehead, are of ancient yellow rubble, probably re-used
material. Reset in the south-east angle inside is an incomplete vertical carved stone with a collared and
chained bear squatting on its haunches and below it
part of another beast, perhaps a dog. What purpose
it served is not evident. The roof of two bays is
modern.

The south porch (8½ ft. square), of the early 16th
century, has a four-centred entrance with a hollow
mould outside and chamfer inside, both with broach
base-stops. In the side walls are unglazed square-headed
windows of two lights. The walls are of largish coursed
yellow ashlar and have a moulded plinth and plain parapets. At the angles are diagonal buttresses. The lowpitched south gable has a shield carved on the parapet,
charged with four bends. There are stone benches
inside. In the east wall is an ogee-headed stoup with a
shallow basin.

The west tower (about 15 ft. north to south by 13 ft.
inside) is of four stages, the three lower diminishing
outside and divided by plain weather-courses. The
lowest stage is of coursed yellow ashlar in medium-large
stones, some of which still show the original diagonal
tooling, and has a low moulded and splayed plinth. At
its west angles are shallow clasping buttresses and at the
east similar buttresses, but the sides are flush with the
east wall. Between them in all three walls are narrower
buttresses. All are tabled back at the lowest stringcourse level, except the south-west containing the stairvice, which rises to the top of the third stage.

The masonry of the second and third stages is of
similar but somewhat smaller courses. The 15thcentury top stage is of larger and smoother yellow ashlar and has a moulded base-course and an embattled
parapet of greyer stone. The parapet string-course has
a middle gargoyle in each face. Above each was originally a pinnacle, of which only the V-shaped pilaster
remains in the parapet: there were also angle-pinnacles.

The stair-vice in the south-west angle is approached
by a right-angled passage from a square-headed doorway at the south end of the west wall inside and is
lighted by west loops. The steps are badly worn. The
very plain archway from the nave has responds and
round head of four continuous chamfered orders towards the nave and three towards the tower: the arch
has pressed the responds out of perpendicular. The
west and south walls have original round-headed windows, 18 in. wide, piercing the intermediate buttresses:
below the western was a 17th-century doorway with a
square head, now blocked.

The next story has a similar west window and in the
east wall is a round-headed doorway, now mostly restored inside with brickwork, with steps up through it
on to the nave roof: it opened originally into the earlier
gabled roof-space; north of it inside is an old locker
rebated for a door. Another window in the south wall
is now blocked. This chamber has an ancient floor,
open-timbered below.

The third stage, the original bell-chamber, had each
wall pierced by a wider window, now indicated only
by straight joints in the masonry.

The fourth stage, the late-15th-century bell-chamber,
has a window in each wall of two trefoiled ogee-headed
lights and a quatrefoil in a straight-sided four-centred
head without a hood-mould. The jambs and head have
large external splays. There is no floor between this
chamber and the older chamber below. The lowpitched, almost flat, roof is apparently of modern repair.

The font has a plain octagonal bowl with a hollowed
under edge in a chamfer; it is probably of the early 16th
century, but the upper half of the stem is a curious and
rather clumsy attempt at quasi-Norman decoration by
cutting engrailed, indented, and foiled edges in faces
diminishing downwards, the lower half being splayed
and the base chamfered.

The altar is a small early-18th-century table with
shaped cabriole legs. In the tower is a 16th-century
iron-bound chest with a half-round coved lid which has
been restored: it has three locks.

A badly worn stone effigy is that of a priest in mass
vestments, probably of the early 15th century: the head
rests on a cushion, the feet on a dog. It now stands upright in the tower.

On the east wall of the north transept is a plain
panelled stone tablet with a pedimental head, set up
by John Palmer to his father Richard, died 1582, and
to his own wife Frances daughter of Nicholas Overbury
of Borton, died 1601, with her only son Richard.
There are three shields of arms.

On the same wall is a brass plate to members of the
Brent family, starting with William, lord of Stoke and
Admington, 1595, and Elizabeth his wife, and continuing to 1666. There are also four detached shields
charged with a wyvern.

On the west wall of the transept is a tablet, like that
opposite, to Giles Palmer eighth son of John and Eleanor
(Rouse), died 1665, placed by his widow Elizabeth
daughter of Henry Jones of Chastleton. Also a small
brass to Edmund sixth son of Henry Jones, 1667(8);
and another to Dorothy widow of Giles Palmer and
daughter of Humphrey Lyttelton, 1763. There are
uninscribed floor slabs, two with brass shields with the
Brent wyvern. There are grave-slabs in the nave to
Joan wife of Richard Canning of Foxcote, 1685,
to Apolonia wife of Frances Canning, 1712(13), and to
Thomas Canning son of Richard, 1716.

There are five bells by Henry Bagley, 1641.

The communion-plate includes an Elizabethan
chalice with a cover bearing the date 1571; and a
flagon given by Michael Sparke in 1640.

The registers begin in 1588.

In the churchyard is a stone carved with a crucifix on
one side—perhaps the base of a 15th-century cross. (fn. 64)
There are also several 17th-century tombstones, and
one to Hutton Corbet, who died in 1706, aged 106
years, 9 months, and 11 days.

Advowson

There was a priest, implying a
church, at Ilmington in 1086, (fn. 65) and
the advowson descended with the
manor, being conveyed with it in 1550 to Sir Thomas
Andrews. (fn. 66) One of this family seems to have parted
with it, possibly because they were Roman Catholics. (fn. 67)
Presentation was made by Queen Elizabeth in 1586, (fn. 68)
but by the end of 1588 the rectory and advowson were
in the hands of Thomas Bushell of Packwood, who
sold them to John Childe. He sold one moiety thereof
to William Awstyne and the other moiety to Thomas
Childe of Ilmington, who in 1607 sold his share to
Richard Canning of Foxcote. The legality of the sales
was challenged by Sir Edward Bushell, brother of
Thomas, (fn. 69) but with what result is not known. George
Boteler of Leigh (Rutland) presented in 1632, and
Francis Kinge, merchant tailor of London, in 1635. (fn. 70) In
1669 Henry Parker presented, and in 1719 his greatgrandson Sir Henry Parker, bart., who died in 1771. (fn. 71)
Before this, however, he had parted with the advowson,
the patrons in 1750 being Robert Backhouse and Edward Griffith, clerks. (fn. 72) Between 1762 and 1785 presentations were made by the Rev. Richard Swanne, (fn. 73)
who was the son of Abraham Swanne of Ilmington. (fn. 74)
Gore Townsend of Honington Hall was patron from
1802, (fn. 75) and on his death in 1826 the advowson passed
to his fourth son, (fn. 76) the Rev. E. J. Townsend, who died
in 1858. (fn. 77) The patronage was acquired by the Rev.
Nicholas John Warner, who became rector in 1896, (fn. 78)
and was held by his executors until about 1935. It was
then bought by the Martyrs' Memorial Trust and conveyed by them to Canford School. (fn. 79)

Charities

Richard Badger's Charity. This
parish receives 1/42nd of the income of
this charity, amounting to £17 16s. 9d.
annually, representing the church share, and a like
amount representing the poor's share. These amounts
are applied in accordance with the trusts.

The Rev. Christopher Cleobury by will proved
21 Dec. 1863 gave to the incumbent and churchwardens £50, the income to be disposed of in bread,
fuel, and clothing to the poor of the parish. The endowment produces £18s. 4d. annually in dividends,
which are applied for the benefit of the poor of the
parish.

John Bartlett, who died in 1762, gave 5s. a year to
the churchwardens of this parish to be distributed to
such widows or widowers, churchgoers, as should not
receive any collection. The 5s. was regularly paid by
John Bartlett of Witney, great-nephew of the donor, as
a charge upon certain lands in Ilmington which he
derived from his ancestor, until the year 1857, but does
not appear to have been paid since that date.

Church Lands. Upon the inclosure of the common
fields of Ilmington in 1781 an allotment of 32 a. 1r. 30 p.
was awarded to the rector and churchwardens in lieu
of three-quarters of a yardland and the right of common to the same belonging, held by them as trustees
for the repair of the church of Ilmington; and a further
allotment of 4 a. o r. 10 p. was also awarded in exchange
for a close called Church Close or Crow Yard containing 1a. 0 r. 7 p. There were also five cottages with small
gardens and an orchard and small close; but the source
from which this property was derived is unknown.

Part of the land has been sold and the endowment
now consists of four inclosures of arable and pasture
land containing 37 acres or thereabouts at Ilmington
adjoining Berryfields Farm, let at an annual rent, and
two sums of stock. The income is applied to the repairs
and expenses of the church.

12. Ibid. 317; 'Edelmitone', held by
Robert de Stafford (ibid. 330), was identified by Dugdale (628; cf. Pl.-N. of Warws.
304) as Ilmington. Round accepted this
identification (V.C.H. Warw. i, 295) and
also the suggestion that it was Tidmington,
Worcs. (ibid. 330). It is probably Admington, Gloucs.